Flavonoid constituents from the aqueous extract of the leaves of Eupatorium odoratum, an invasive weed in Thailand, have potential use as dyestuffs for cotton dyeing. It was found that cotton yarn, which was pretreated with a chitosan solution (with and without a crosslinking glyoxal solution), followed by dyeing with E. odoratum extract in the presence of the inorganic mordant, alum, provided better depth of shade (K ⁄ S) and also gave better fastness to light and washing than the untreated cotton yarn. Pretreated cotton yarn with the biomordant solution from Memecylon scutellatum leaves gave relatively poor light and wash fastness of the resultant dyed cotton in the presence of alum. From the toxicity studies, the aqueous extract of the leaves of E. odoratum before and after dyeing showed a high toxicity level to the earthworm (Diplocardia communis) and the guppy fish (Poecilia reticulate). Therefore, it is strongly suggested that E. odoratum aqueous extract after dyeing should be significantly diluted before discharged into the environment.

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Thirty six organic extracts were prepared from eighteen marine sponges collected from the Andaman Sea, Thailand. The extracts were examined for anti-malaria, anti-Microbacterium tuberculosis, anti-herpes simplex virus, antimicrobial, anti-acetylcholinesterase enzyme and cytotoxic activities. Four extracts showed anti-M. tuberculosis, one anti-malarial, twenty four antimicrobial and one extract exhibited cytotoxic activity. However, anti-acetylcholinesterase enzyme and anti-herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) activities were not recorded. Dichloromethane extracts prepared from Axinyssa sp., Halichondria sp. and Chondrosia reticulata exhibited potential anti-M. tuberculosis at MIC 50, 100 and 200 mg/mL, respectively. The Hexane part of Phakellia ventilabrum extract showed anti-malarial activity (MIC= 2.8 mg/mL) while the dichloromethane extract showed anti-M. tuberculosis and cytotoxic activity with MIC 200 and IC 50 7.1 mg/mL, respectively. Antimicrobial activity was found in both the hexane and dichloromethane parts of extracts.

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